One of the most popular attractions in Penang is the Botanic Gardens. I went there on a lazy Sunday afternoon in mid December. As it was the start of the Christmas Holidays, there were many tourists - mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - visiting the gardens on that day. The biggest draw of the gardens are the long tailed macaques, medium sized monkeys who freely roam the park. They are neither wild nor domesticated, as they have adapted to the frequent presence of human beings.

The macaques usually hang out near the park entrance as they welcome the many camera-toting visitors, overtly soliciting for handouts. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of trying to feed the monkeys. This is a big mistake in my opinion, as the long tailed macaque can become awfully nasty when they’re surrounded by too many human beings. Furthermore the monkeys seemed to be bothered by the flash of cameras. While I was there, I saw several gals run for cover when an alpha male made a charge at them, baring his fangs and making threatening postures. Talking about trying to bite the hand that feeds you.

One of the larger males even had the audacity to make charge at me before I scared him off by making whooping noises and shaking my fist at him. Grrhhhh

Boklua View Resort is one of the few hotels in recent memory that far exceeded my expectations. Located about 2 hours away from the city of Nan in the lush countryside of Nan Province, this small mountain resort consists of approximately 12 bungalows with 20 guestrooms. The nearby village of Boklua with her ancient salt wells are just a short walk from the hotel. Definitely off the beaten path!

Let’s face it – most hotels, while having an impressive write-up and flattering images on their website fall way short of their hype. I had previewed Boklua View earlier last year along with two other boutique hotels in Northern Thailand. Of the three hotels, only Boklua View can be recommended without hesitation to my fellow travelers.

The hotel really has its “feng shui” together. The property is beautifully laid out – the landscaping and architecture of the resort was influenced by Khun Tuan’s (the owner) many trips to Bali in Indonesia. Located on the middle of the slope, there is a pool area for lounging or sunbathing but the pool is not swimmable.

There really aren’t any tourist concessions or other hotels in the area - it is completely natural and relatively undeveloped. Other than a small gift shop and a wonderful outdoor palapa style restaurant, the resort doesn’t have much in terms in facilities. Just lots of peace and quiet. The restaurant is definitely the focal point of the hotel.

The bungalows are scattered on the hillside with ample spacing between each unit so you definitely have a feeling of privacy. Most of them have wraparound wooden terraces with outstanding views of the lush green countryside and nearby rice paddies. Although simply furnished, the rooms are very airy and spacious with comfortable beds. None of the rooms have televisions, which is fine by me.

The only real negative things about the rooms are the toilets - they are very small and too low to the ground. Many westerners might be a little uncomfortable with this especially if they have a large ass. Other than that some of the rooms could use a large wastepaper basket.

Born and raised in the area, Khun Tuan is a gourmet chef by profession. He was trained at one of the most prestigious culinary institutes in Bangkok and worked in the kitchen at a luxury resort in Bali. His culinary training is reflected in the outstanding meals prepared by his staff. The menu consists primarily of novella interpretations of traditional Thai dishes. Western dishes are offered as well.

In particular, the breakfast buffet was exceptional - with fresh rolls, home baked bread, and home made jams and a good selection of fresh fruit not to mention some freshly brewed coffee.

The staff was friendly and attentive as well – service was very good.
I should also mention that there is free wifi available in the restaurant.

In summary, I strongly recommend Boklua View for the discerning traveler who’d like to experience upcountry Thailand in a peaceful and quiet setting.

Finally, I have gotten around to writing a review of the Nan Boutique Hotel based on my brief stay there in late November 2009. Located in the city of Nan in Northern Thailand, this small two story boutique property is the newest hotel in the city, having opened in Spring 2009

Situated just a couple of blocks away from the heart of the downtown area, the location is ideal. The rooms are large and comfortable - the best I have seen in Nan - but there is a very serious design flaw with the rooms on the lower floor. Believe it or not, the closets of these rooms are located in the bathroom. When you take a shower, the moisture inside the bathroom will probably make your clothes damp.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why the rooms were designed like this. When I informed the manager of this situation, she said that she was aware of this odd room configuration, and was quick to point out that the closets of the rooms on the 2nd floor were located outside the bathroom.

The service at the front desk was subpar - while the employees are friendly, they are not knowledgeable about Nan. The small rooftop restaurant recently opened for breakfast only, but the breakfast buffet was very poor overall. The choice of dishes did not cater to the western tourist as there was no toast or bread and limited fruit available. Service needs to be improved here as well.

At the time of my visit (late November), there were no in-room safes or safe deposit boxes in the reception area, however I was told that management would be installing safes in all the rooms sometime this year. Hooray!

Outside of the small gift shop and the rooftop restaurant, the hotel does not have any facilities. It should be noted however that the hotel offers complimentary bicycles to all their guests. This is a real plus as cycling is the best way to get around Nan. A small swimming pool and workout room would be welcome additions - this may happen sometime in the near future.

In summary - the hotel has potential to be a first rate property, but I cannot wholeheartedly recommend Nan Boutique Hotel at this time until the service improves and the rooms on the lower floor are reconfigured. I would also like to mention that the management (the owner) seemed to be very open minded, sincere and receptive to constructive criticism.

What happens when a prominent Swedish Swedish Biologist with a PHD in Plant Physiology meets beautiful lady from Northern Thailand?

He marries the lovely lass, relocates from Sweden to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and together with his wife’s family opens up Dokmai Garden, the newest ethnobotanical and horticultural attraction in Northern Thailand. Dokmai’s Grand Opening was in Spring 2009.

The Swedish biologist’s name in question is Dr. Eric Danell, and before relocating to Thailand, he had an illustrious career as an educator and in botanical research. His field of expertise was Mycology – the study of mushrooms and other funguses.

Located about 20 minutes outside of Chiang Mai, Dokmai was developed on the grounds of a former longan plantation. The gardens, which occupy an area of 24 rai or 4 hectares, has over 500 selected tropical species including a variety of Thai natives as well as vegetables and fruits.

The New Gardens is definitely a family affair as Erik has integrated his wife and her entire family in the new ecotourism business venture – Ketsanee is the President, her sister is the marketing manager and her brother is the head gardener, while Erik’s official position is scientific consultant. Ketsanee and her family come from humble origins as rice farmers and agriculturalists in rural Northeastern Thailand.

In addition to promoting horticultural tourism, the doctor continues his research in the cultivation of mushrooms for medicinal purposes in collaboration with the University at Chiang Mai.

Eric gave me a tour of the compound and pointed out the educational aspect of the gardens. Most of the plants and trees are not only labeled with their latin and common name, but a brief profile on each species is provided - i.e. cultivation, medicinal uses and cultural history. I have visited many botanical gardens and horticultural facilities, and this is the only garden that I know of that provides such valuable background information.
Horticultural enthusiasts will find this information to be very instructive. This descriptive profile is provided not only in English but also in Thai and Japanese.

There is also wonderful restaurant on the premises – breakfast and lunch are served - as well as a gift shop where you can buy some unique Thai handicrafts in addition to literature and books on the plants of Thailand. There are even changing rooms available! Entrance fee is 300 baht.

Dokmai is a Love Affair in more ways than one.

The best place to shop for T-shirts in Thailand is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. There is no other place in Thailand that has the variety that is offered here. The designs range from the sexually explicit (naughty) to the comically inane; in between, you can find a variety of very elegant and stylish T-shirts with some very aesthetically pleasing designs.

The most outrageous T-Shirts that I have seen in recent memory has to be a toss up between the T-shirt that lambasted our former President George W Bush and the x-rated “Blowjob is better than No Job” T-shirt. The Blowjob T-Shirt in particular was executed very well with very bold white lettering against a black background – very simple and to the point, elegant and classy in its own vulgar way.

I was walking through the Night Bazaar last year when I saw the Blowjob T-shirt. I did a double take as it was so outrageous and I had the sales clerk hold it up for me so I could take a picture. Walking away from the outdoor shop, I suddenly reversed directions and headed back to the shop. I had decided to to buy the T-shirt as a collector’s item.

Most Thai people cannot read or understand English very well; those that are well versed in English – like my ladyfriend, Khun Moongmink – do not know what the expression blow job means anyhow. Even the Thai people who understand the meaning of Blow Job might chuckle when looking at the T-Shirt or look the other way. You must understand that as a Buddhist country, Thailand is a very tolerant country. There is an expression in Thai, “Mai Pen Rai”. Literally it means Never Mind or Who Cares which really describes Thai mentality to a tee.

Back in the USA, I have to be very careful where and when I wear this Blowjob T-shirt as I would be inviting a lot of stares, and I can imagine that many ladies would be very disgusted. Who knows, some very prude lady might make a complaint to the local police!

Cost of eating out If you eat at local cafes, Moslem and Indian food shops (or at the more pedestrian food courts) it can cost you as little as 20RM (5-6USD) per day for three meals. If you go to some of the nicer restaurants (not crass tourists places) frequented by Malaysians, it will cost more of course - expect to pay $15-25USD per day for three meals.

To give you an idea of my dining expenses, I had a western style breakfast - two eggs, a small glass of fruit juice and toast - at Four Leaves Cafe, located across the street from Traders Hotel. It cost me all of 4.00RM (1.35USD). I also had lunch at a small local eatery (across the street from Traders) that offered only Halal and Indian dishes. The lunch cost me all of 3.60RM (a little over $1.00USD).

My dinner expenses for the three nights that I was in Penang were as follows:

• First night - Woodlands ….. 14.30RM
• 2nd night - Sri Anan Bahwani …17.50RM
• 3rd night - Luk Yea Yan… 23.60RM

The first two are very respectable Indian restaurants located in Little India, while the third restaurant is a very proper vegetarian Chinese eatery

There are a bunch of moderately upscale restaurants and cafes - including McDonald’s at the big shopping center located next door to Traders. On the bottom floor of the mall is the ever popular Starbucks.

Starbucks To put the cost of dining in MALAYSIA in perspective, consider this - if you go to a local Starbucks, a Veinte Latte will set you back 12.10RM (3.40USD) and a Veinte Americano 8.35RM (2.35USD). These prices are what Westerners are used to paying, but for Malaysians, Starbucks represents a big splurge!

Nightlife About 1.2 Kilometers away from Traders Hotel is Georgetown’s Pink Zone, a very touristy area with many upscale clubs & bars, trendy restaurants and outdoor bistros. Most of Western tourists can be seen congregating here at night. Be prepared to spend some serious monies if you go there.

Taxi For 7 ½ hours of touring, I paid 270RM, the equivalent of 76USD! Not too bad, my taxi driver was happy and I was haPee!

Note: 1.00USD = 3.55 Ringit (RM)

There are many things to do and see in Penang Island. Like most tourists, I managed to squeeze in an all day highlights tour of Georgetown, Penang’s bustling and historic capital city.

Cultural Heritage and Temples To start my day of touring, I stopped at Khoo Kongsi, a classical Chinese clan temple. At one time it was an active temple but now it is strictly a heritage exhibit for visitors. The elaborate wall ornamentation as well as the exotic statues, murals and paintings pay homage to the clan’s rich history and to their deities. This temple was far different than what I am accustomed to seeing during my numerous trips to Thailand; it made me feel like I was in China.

Many tourists visit a replica of a Thai Wat – inside the temple complex is a mock version of the famous reclining Buddha. Across the street was a replica of a Burmese temple - again I’ve seen Burmese style temples in Northern Thailand and those were the authentic article. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time here.

Next up was a Hindu temple – many Hindis gathered here on this Sunday, most of them dressed up in their traditional garb. Apparently there was a special festival being celebrated on this day, and everybody was enjoying the vegetarian feast that was hosted by the temple. They invited me - a total outsider - to partake of the feast. While I helped myself to lunch, I also made a donation to the temple.

The View at Penang Hill The biggest tourist trap in Penang. Most people take a funicular to a viewpoint located about 830 meters (2750 feet) above sea level, the highest point in Penang. While I am not fond of tourist traps, I admit that there are some absolutely spectacular panoramic views of Georgetown, the Straits of Malacca and Peninsular Malaysia. You can even see the long causeway which connects Penang Island with the mainland.

As I visited Penang Hill on the last Sunday of the holidays, the place was jammed with tourists – mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Besides the view, there was a ‘horse and pony show’ going on – a crowd gathered around to watch fellow tourists pose with pythons draped around their necks.

The Monkeys of Penang Botanic Gardens If you have a limited amount of time, can take “A mini-shuttle bus” for a quick tour of the gardens. The star attraction of the gardens are the long tailed macaques, medium sized monkeys that freely roam the park. These monkeys can get very nasty - baring their sharps fangs and making threatening postures - when surrounded by too many camera toting tourists, who aggravate the situation by trying to feed them. One of the monkeys even had the audacity to make charge at me but I scared him off by making whooping noises and shaking my fist at him. Grrhhhh

The island of Penang in Malaysia has the reputation of having some of the best restaurants in Southeast Asia. In fact “dining” is one of the primary reasons why tourists go there. As a vegan, I cannot really vouch for the reputed excellence of Penang’s restaurants but during my limited time there (4 days/3nights), I had the opportunity to sample three very proper vegetarian restaurants. Admittedly the title of this post “A Vegetarian’s Dining Guide to Penang” is somewhat of a misnomer because of my limited dining experience.

Night One - Woodlands
Upon recommendation of the concierge at Traders Hotel, I went to Woodlands, a vegetarian Indian Restaurant located in nearby Little India. He reassured me that Woodlands was a very proper restaurant, popular with the upper class ethnic Indians who lived in Penang as well as tourists from Kuala Lumpur.

Well, needless to say I was pleasantly surprised. The décor was understated but very pleasant and looking around, most of the clientele were very well dressed locals. I ordered two dishes– Aloo Gobi , Garam Masala in addition to some Garlic rice and Garlic Naan(my favorite). While the service was very good, the food was outstanding, better than 95% of the Indian restaurants that I have been to in my life. The bill came to all of 14.30RM including a 5% service charge. Converting to USD that is $4.00USD - now that is cheap! Keep in mind, if you go to a local cafeteria style Indian restaurant, a whole dinner can be had for as little as $1.25USD!

Night Two - Sri Anana Bahwan
I returned to Little India about 9:00PM. Since Woodlands was closed, I went across the street to Sri Anana Bahwan, another Vegetarian Indian restaurant that I spotted the night before(and they were open till 10:00PM). The ambiance wasn’t quite as nice as Woodlands – a little bit too art deco for my tastes with black ‘n’ white tiled floor and huge whirring ceiling fans going full blast. Overall the food was good (better than average) and the service while friendly was at best mediocre. The bill came out to 17.50RM (approximately 5.00USD), still very affordable for a western tourist.

Night Three - Luk Yea Yan
On my third and final night, I consulted with my taxi driver, a Chinese fellow in his early 70’s, and I asked him to take me to the best Vegetarian Chinese restaurant in the area. He told me he knew of several places. We ended up at Luk Yea Yan, only a 7-minute drive from Traders Hotel. Not a very flashy or gaudy place, Luk Yea Yan was a very proper restaurant with a rather simple decor. Looking around the restaurant, there was a smattering of tourists but most of the clientele were natives of Penang.

After viewing their rather extensive menu, I ordered three dishes – a lotus flower rice dish, stir fried spicy greens and a vegetable satay plus some green tea.

The verdict – the food was very good (not quite as good as Su Hean in Taiping) but the service was just average. Total bill came to 23.60RM (6.60USD)

This Vegan’s overall verdict for PENANG, thumbs up!

Normally when I visit Chiang Mai, I stay at Tawan Court, a small budget hotel located a couple blocks away from Chiang Mai’s popular Night Bazaar. While there really isn’t anything really special about the hotel (the rooms are somewhat drab and need new carpeting), I feel comfortable staying there because the management is very friendly and the location is ideal. As the hotel rates go up every year, you would think that the owners would spend some extra monies on refurbishing the rooms.

On my last visit to Chiang Mai in December 2009, I decided to ignore my loyalties to Tawan Court and try something different. After considerable research online, I found the Banilah Hotel, a very stylish looking budget hotel located away from the tourist districts in a neighborhood popular with the University crowd.

The images on Banilah’s website are very flattering in an attempt to portray the hotel as a boutique property. While the office has a nice ambiance, the rooms were sort of dark and drab with very small and cramped bathroom facilities. When you take a shower, the toilet will get all wet. The hotel, which is over 3 years old, is beginning to show some signs of wear and tear. As with most local and budget hotels, there are no in-room safes or safe deposit boxes available at the front desk.

On the plus side, all the rooms have free Wifi and TV. In addition, the hotel offers complementary use of bicycles to all their guests.

Two of my biggest criticisms with Banilah are:

• The hotel management exercised very poor judgment by laying down a water hose across the narrow walkway to the guestrooms without putting up a caution sign. Somebody easily could have tripped and had an accident.
• The hotel staff doesn’t necessarily answer their phones during their normal business hours of 9:00AM – 6:00PM. That definitely created a problem for me. To give you some idea, I was near Taphae Gate in Chiang Mai (the opposite side of town) and was getting ready to return to Banilah by Tuk tuk about 4:30PM in the afternoon. As I was leaving on an early morning flight to Singapore, I had to retrieve my valuables from the hotel safe by 7:00PM (the hotel office closes at that time). As most of the tuk tuk drivers probably did not know of the hotel and where it was located, I tried calling the hotel numerous times to get directions but there was no answer. Fortunately the tuk tuk driver that I hired knew the way and I reached the hotel in less than 15 minutes.

Even though the hotel is a pretty good value, in light of my recent experience, I really cannot recommend Banilah Hotel at this time. Management needs to be more responsible to its guests, and most Western visitors might be not too pleased with its offbeat location. Then again, the hotel seems to cater mostly to a Thai clientele.